This Instant Pot Baked Potato Recipe is the perfect solution for those who love baked potatoes but don't have time to cook them for almost an hour in the oven. With the Instant Pot, you can have perfectly baked potatoes in just a fraction of the time! This method is quick, easy, and produces utterly fluffy and creamy potatoes. Topped with melted cheese and crispy, savory bacon, it’s a downright irresistible treat!
Can You Bake in an Instant Pot?
Yes, you can!
To our surprise, casserole dishes like this baked potato dish can be made using your trusty Instant Pot. There’s no need to wait for the oven to heat up anymore.
Although we have to admit, despite the name being “baked potatoes”, the actual cooking method is steaming the tuber vegetables in the Instant Pot and then air-frying them afterward.
Are These Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Good for You?
Known to be a rich source of resistant starch, potatoes may help your body with digestion, weight loss, disease prevention, and other important functions. They’re also abundant in vitamin C and potassium. Moreover, potato skin is an excellent source of fiber, which is essential for maintaining good digestive health.
Another thing that makes these baked potatoes healthy is the cooking method itself. Baking requires much less oil than deep-frying, therefore reducing the number of calories and amount of fat in the final dish. With this recipe, we keep things at a minimum of 196 calories and 3.9 g saturated fat, as well as 286.4 mg sodium—all of which are well within the limit set by our nutrition guidelines.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These Instant Pot baked potatoes are fairly simple, so they won’t require much besides some pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Potatoes: There are many types of potatoes and honestly, you can use whichever you like for this recipe. That being said, we recommend trying yellow or red potatoes because they turn out quite moist and fluffy when baked.
- Bacon: We find regular bacon to suffice but if you want a more complex flavor profile, smoked bacon would be a better choice.
- Cheese: We love using sharp cheddar cheese but you can absolutely use anything you like, may it be parmesan, gouda, or Swiss. Just be sure to monitor its sodium content.
- Yogurt: Each baked potato is topped with a dollop of low-fat Greek yogurt for some extra creaminess and a lightly tangy taste.
- Unsalted butter: Adding a small knob of butter to the potatoes will intensify their natural flavors as well as add a pinch of richness.
- Spices: Bacon and cheddar are already salty so there’s no need to use more salt to season the potatoes. The only spice we use in this recipe is black pepper to give a light touch of heat.
- Garnish: Before serving, we garnish with sliced scallions to make the dish more appealing.
Tips for Making the Best Instant Pot Baked Potato
The Instant Pot helps to simplify the process and keeps things pretty straightforward. Still, when it comes to cooking, there are always tips and tricks you can use to improve the quality of your dish. Here are a few for this one:
- Choose the right potatoes: For the best results, choose potatoes that are uniform in size and shape so they can cook evenly in the pot.
- Pierce the potatoes: Before cooking, use a fork to pierce the potatoes all over. This will allow steam to escape during cooking, preventing the potatoes from becoming too mushy.
- Check for doneness: To check if the potatoes are done, insert a fork into the center. The fork should slide in easily without any resistance.
How to Serve Baked Potato
These baked potatoes make a fantastic light meal on their own, but you can also serve them alongside BBQ-esque proteins like Grilled Salmon, Grilled Shrimp, etc. or hearty dishes such as Chicken Piccata, Beef Stew, and more. Best of all, if you’re looking to make something other than mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, this dish would be a perfect alternative.
Storing and Reheating
Storing
These baked potatoes can be refrigerated for two to four days. Keep them in airtight containers for the highest quality and safety. They can be frozen for up to three months, although we wouldn’t recommend it since it would become quite mushy once thawed.
Reheating
Microwave cooking is the quickest method, but it can dry out your potatoes. To avoid this, wrap each potato in a moist paper towel. Heat the potatoes in the microwave for approximately two minutes.
You can also wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil and bake them for approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. This method may sound complicated, but it aids in keeping the potato skin crispy.
Instant Pot Baked Potato Recipe
This Instant Pot Baked Potato Recipe is the perfect solution for those who love baked potatoes but don't have time to cook them for almost an hour in the oven. With the Instant Pot, you can have perfectly baked potatoes in just a fraction of the time! This method is quick, easy, and creates utterly fluffy and creamy potatoes.
- cook TIME 20 mins
- prep TIME 5 mins
- total TIME 25 mins
- COURSE Side dish
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 196 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 24 oz potato
- 0.5 oz pan-fried bacon
- 1 oz cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp scallion
INSTRUCTIONS
Prick the potatoes: Hold the potato in the palm of your hand and use a fork to prick it multiple times. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Prepare the Instant Pot: Put a steamer basket and add 1 cup water into the pot. Plug your Instant Pot in and it’s ready for the potatoes.
Steam the potatoes: Put 24 oz potatoes into the steamer basket. Cover the Instant Pot and turn the valve knob to “Sealing Position”. Set it to the “Steam” program and cook for 15 minutes.
Cut the potatoes: Once the potatoes are tender, remove them from the pot using a pair of tongs. Wear a clean mitten to protect your hand and pick up a potato. Slit it open using a sharp knife then use a fork to fluff up the insides.
Season the potatoes: With the potato in your hand, season it with unsalted butter, salt, and black pepper.
Add the toppings: Top the seasoned potatoes with pan-fried bacon and cheddar cheese. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Bake the potatoes: Put the potatoes in the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes at 400 °F.
Top them with 2 tbsp Greek yogurt.
Garnish and serve: Transfer the potatoes to serving plates and sprinkle with 2 tbsp scallion. Serve immediately.
NUTRITION
Luna Regina
Writer, Author